Why Did This Founder Move From Bangalore to Launch His Startup in Bahrain?

Amjad Puliyali is an Indian entrepreneur who is currently the co-founder and managing director of GetBaqala in Bahrain. Amjad previously worked for Vizury as a general manager for India, the Middle East, and Africa in Dubai where he ran the growth marketing and big data personalization of a number of startups including BigBasket, Souq.com, Careem, Anghami before deciding to launch his own startup in Bahrain.

Amjad made the decision to move to Bahrain and launch his GetBaqala startup after contacting the Economic Development Board’s office in Mumbai to inquire about the process of opening his business in Bahrain. Amjad found them to be “quite proactive in directing us and helping us get a trade license. They all have great support, mentorship, and incubation programs.” Amjad told StarUp Bahrain that he chose Bahrain to start his business because “Bahrain is a perfect market to test your idea and validate your assumptions without burning too much capital”.

GetBaqala is the first service of its kind to come to Bahrain. GetBaqala delivers groceries, from fresh fruits and vegetables to home essentials and snacks, at comparable prices to supermarkets and other outlets. It’s also an app that connects local merchants with online shoppers around the area. You can now save time and avoid the hassle of going into a supermarket and standing in line to do your grocery shopping. The delivery timings being 10 am to 12:00 midnight, GetBaqala deliver orders in two hours or less.

His co-founder, Aboobacker Shinan, recently came on-board from Abu Dhabi. A chartered accountant by profession with over 10 years of experience in the supermarket and retail industry, Shinan currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and runs the day-to-day operations and delivery team.

Amjad and Shinan are currently running GetBaqala with a team of twelve who are based out of Bangalore and Bahrain.The startup has just completed its first-year anniversary, with some exciting milestones: over 5,000 monthly active users in the 11 months since its launch, over 20,000 downloads, and GetBaqala is growing 40% MoM in orders and revenue. After successfully graduating from Bahrain Development Bank’s Incubation Center, Rukn, in less than one year, GetBaqala changed headquarters in September 2017 from Manama Center to Juffair.

It’s not surprising to see why GetBaqala has a loyal customer base: with features such as live-tracking, a dedicated customer service hotline and chat, multiple payment options, and no minimum orders, GetBaqala is an exceptionally convenient and hassle-free delivery service.

“As an e-grocery platform, GetBaqala is quite different from regular e-commerce. We have a hybrid model. GetBaqala is a showcase of the new business opportunities that emerge from online-offline integration,” Amjad claims.

GetBaqala is currently delivering across Bahrain. You can simply download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play. Shopping for your groceries has never been easier thanks to GetBaqala.